Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-07-15
Mr.. CLEVELANU'S ADMINISTRATION.

When you ask "what has Mr.
Cleveland done for the country
since he has been president ~ the
response is gwen, che has furnish
ed an honest administration Now
this may be true; but is 1t enough
An administration may be honest,
and, yet, not useful. A great nation
like this, scattered over such an in
mense territory, with such varie-
ty of interests to be cared for, de-
mands something more than an
honest Administrations calls for
an intelligent, useful and imper-
sonal administration of our govern
mental affairs.
Has Mr.. Cleveland conducted his
administration fairly, intelligently,
unselfshly and for the best inter
ests of the masses of the people F.
We do not think it has been fair
Upon the contrary it has been full
of insincerity. He pretended to be
a civil service reformer, and an
nounced to the world that no man
should be removed from Office, if he
was efficient, because of his pohti.
cal convictions. In the face of this
declaration he has surely and stead
ily carried on his work Of removal,
turning out efficient Republicans
and putting in their stead men who
we're partisan Democrats, inexperi-
enced, and often totally inefficient.
Mr.. Cleveland had a perfect right
to put his own party friends in of.
fee, under ordinary circumstances !;
but he had no right to be guilty Of
disqualification.
Has the present administration
been an intelligent one? We think
not. What great public policy,
looking to the welfare of the people
and the development of the coun-
try, has been inaugurated by Mr..
Cleveland ? None Upon the con.
trary he has suggested things that
would have been FuinOus if his will
had prevailed: He wanted the coin
age of silver stopped, and through
his Secretary Of the Treasury, Mr..
Manning, sought to build up a
sentiment in Congress in favor of
free trade.
There are three great national
questions in which the people are
deeply concerned, viz: Education,
Tariff, and Internal Revenue. What
attitude has Mr.. Cleveland occupied
on themY With a full knowledge
that the people are loudly clamor.
ing for aid to the cause Of popular
education, he has never in a mes
sage or otherwise advocated the
passage of the Blar bill or any sim
liar measure. If his position has
not been hostile it has been one of
supreme indifference on this cues.
ton, which is of such vital impor-
lance to the South, especially.
On the tariff Mr.. Cleveland has
been wholly unsatisfactory. With
out the courage to announce him
self "free- trader he has moulded
his course in the interest of that
faction. The manner in which he
has sought TO carry out the pledges
of his party to reduce the surplus
in the treasury is one Of the strong.
est proofs of his friendship for free
trade He has not sought to re.
duce the surplus by the passage OF
the Blair bill or by the repeal Of the |
Internal Revenue laws; but has |
al led himself with those who have |
DEBATED any efforts to pass the ed.
uGtional bill or repeal the Internal |
Revenue ; and in that way force |
tn, consent of the people to a re.
dption of the tariff to secure a re.
dption of the surplus in the treas
ur7. Mr.. Cleveland must he in |
favor of the continuance of the In
teinal Revenue system. He has
never suggested by message, or
in any way, that it be abolished.
The "free.traders" want it cOntin-
ued and American industries and
labor to be unprotected. Mr.. Cleve.
land is with them in this.
We were told when Cleveland
was a candidate that the Republi-
cans were destroying our industrial
interests by permitting such a large
surplus OF money to accumulate in
the national treasury. The Demo.
cratic party pledged the people that
if he was elected the surplus should
be reduced without delay. How
has Mr.. Cleveland carried out this
pledge of his party The records
tell There are now nearly two
hundred millions greater surplus in
thetreasury than there was when
Mr. Cleveland became President,
and he surplus is increasing at the
rate IF ten millions Of dollars each
mont. He violates this pledge to
make the people submit to free
trade or consent to the stoppage
of thecoinage of silver dollars.
MrCleveland is egotistical, stub.
born ad ambitious but not brave.
lie is evidently anxious to be his
own sccessor and to that end is
now seking to make himself pop
ular a the South. Last fall he
gave geat afiront to the Confeder-
ate eleient by failing to bring Mrs.
Clevelad to Richmond to receive
at GovLee's in company with Miss
WinnieDavis. He sought to re-
pair tina mistake, occasOned by a
lack of loral courage, by issuing
an order recently, for the estora.
ton to tie several Southern states
of the battle flags captured by the
Union troops during the war. n,s
order was net with such an express
sion of indignation and condemna-
ton at the North that the order
was hastily revoked, and the presi-
Dental demagopue is now seeking
to appease the Indignation at the
North by shifting the responsible
tv on less weiglty shoulders.
1t is to be hoped that Mr.. Cleve-
land will improve during the re.
naming portin of his term, and
do something b help the country.
But is it possiblo for a man who
was placed in Hch responsible
position, without any knowledge of
national affair, and so little ac-
quainted Will the needs OF the
great masses, TO inaugurate a pol